With many of us looking forward to enjoying the festivities this holiday season, a new study by national disability charity Revitalise has worryingly revealed that many carers have far less reason to be jolly this Christmas.

The charity’s research found that 4 out of 10 (37%) of the UK’s carers will be lonely, over a quarter of whom (30%) were aged 70 or over.

Worse still, at a time when most people are looking forward to relaxing with family and friends, the Revitalise study found that 6 out of 10 (60%) of carers feel unable to ‘switch off’ from their caring role, with more than two thirds saying they are always tired (69%), feel mentally exhausted (63%) and over half (61%) admitting they have trouble sleeping.

And, with the New Year fast approaching, it’s evident that the plight of unpaid carers all across the UK does not lend itself to an optimistic outlook for the future either. More than half of carers (52%) did not know how they would be able to cope if things continued the way they were. 4 out of 10 (40%) also expressed concerns that they would end up ill, in chronic pain or disabled themselves; not surprising since more than 5 out of 10 (55%) of carers had been caring for 10 years or more and a shocking 45% had sustained injuries or chronic health conditions as a direct result of caring, the survey revealed.

In light of the study’s findings, Revitalise is calling for more funding from central government to enable local authorities to give unpaid carers all the support they need and is renewing its call for sufficient funding for respite breaks to be a fundamental element of all social care provision.

Revitalise is also delighted to have the support of Revitalise Vice-President, Dame Esther Rantzen, who is fronting the charity’s 2016 Christmas Campaign, ‘Shining a light on loneliness’. Those wishing to make a donation to Revitalise’s work are kindly asked to visit: www.revitalise.org.uk/christmas-campaign. Every penny donated will go into the Revitalise Support Fund to help those struggling to afford a break.

Picking up on the key issue of loneliness, Dame Esther Rantzen, added:

“It is thanks to the dedication and commitment of the 6.5 million carers in the UK that not only are our parents, siblings and children looked after with love and compassion, but also the UK economy benefits enormously. So it is somewhat depressing to find that 4 out of 10 carers feel lonely.

“This feeling of isolation must be felt even more keenly at Christmas, a time of year devoted to family and togetherness. That’s why I’m urging you to support Revitalise’s campaign to give unpaid carers the recognition they deserve and help combat the damaging effects of loneliness. Please, give what you can – and help us rekindle the true spirit of Christmas.”

Revitalise is a national charity providing respite holidays for disabled people and carers. Revitalise provides short breaks, with 24-hour nurse-led care on-call and personal support, at three accessible centres in Chigwell in Essex, Southampton and Southport. Each centre offers a wide range of accessible activities and excursions in a holiday environment.

Study by disabled people’s charity reveals need for small changes from all to create lasting difference

With memories of the most successful Paralympic Games of all time still fresh in everyone’s mind, a quiz designed to engage non-disabled people in a light-hearted conversation about respect for disabled people revealed that a majority of non-disabled people had no problem using facilities set aside for the needs of disabled people.

The Saint or Sinner Quiz, rolled out by national disabled people’s charity Revitalise to coincide with the Paralympics, found that 6 out of 10 (57%) non-disabled people use disabled toilets and are showing no signs of stopping, with 1 in 5 (17%) saying they had “done it loads of times and really don’t see any harm in it”. The study also found that more than 1 in 10 (12%) non-disabled people use disabled parking spaces either sometimes or habitually.

Revitalise is citing a study by the charity Scope in the run-up to the Rio Games, which found that even though 78% of disabled people thought the 2012 London Paralympics had a positive effect on people’s attitudes to disability, only 19% thought Britain was a better place to be disabled than it was four years ago. Revitalise is therefore calling for positive action to preserve the Paralympic legacy in order to reverse this trend.

In March this year a House of Lords Select Committee Report* made 54 separate recommendations to the Government in order to strengthen the Equality Act, but so far the Government has acted on only one. In July this year the Equality and Human Rights Commission alleged that disabled people were still being treated like “second class citizens”, while Revitalise’s own research has added weight to the argument that society is only paying lip service to the needs of disabled people.

In a recent study of visitor attractions, Revitalise found that a fifth (20%) of the UK’s most visited attractions were not fully accessible from outside and just 17% had all their staff trained in disability awareness. The charity also found similar problems on the high street, where over half (55%) of disabled people had experienced negative or unwelcoming treatment from shop staff.

Most recently, in August 2015 Revitalise discovered that only three football clubs in the Premiership – the world’s richest football league – had the recommended number of spaces for wheelchair users, in accordance with guidelines that have been in existence for well over 10 years.

The charity believes that the aftermath of the successful Rio Paralympics presents the perfect opportunity for non-disabled people to contribute to the Paralympic legacy and add to the groundswell of pressure on policy-makers to back up the good intentions of the Equality Act with meaningful legislation.

To achieve this, Revitalise is urging non-disabled people to take on board the philosophy of Team GB, whose success is based on many small improvements adding up to one seismic change. So, the charity suggests, if non-disabled people simply make one or more small adjustment to their own habits, they will be helping to create a more inclusive and equitable society for disabled people.

Revitalise Chief Executive Chris Simmonds commented:

“We’ve just witnessed the most successful Paralympic Games of all time and legacy is now the word on everyone’s lips. Our Saint or Sinner Quiz was designed to explore the habits of non-disabled people and help them do their bit to keep the Paralympic flame burning.

“In the six years since the launch of the Equality Act it is very disheartening to find that when it comes to making society more open and accessible for disabled people, those with the power to enforce change seem to have made so little progress. Disabled people face a huge number of barriers – from physical access to transport to employment – which already obstruct them from playing a more meaningful role in society, so it is doubly disheartening to find disabled people are also being held back by something as simple as access to a toilet or parking space.

“So, in the warm glow of the Rio Games, if we as individuals can just make one or more small adjustment to our habits, we will be going a long way towards creating a better, more respectful world for disabled people and truly keeping the Paralympic legacy alive!”

Revitalise is a national charity providing respite holidays for disabled people and carers. Revitalise provides short breaks, with 24-hour nurse-led care on-call and personal support, at three accessible centres in Chigwell in Essex, Southampton and Southport. Each centre offers a wide range of accessible activities and excursions in a holiday environment. For more information please visit revitalise.org.uk.

Majority of football clubs fail to meet guidelines that have been in existence for over a decade.

Following the shock findings of last year’s investigation of accessibility at Premiership clubs, national disabled people’s charity Revitalise has today published an Accessibility League Table of Championship clubs, revealing that many are missing the mark when meeting the accessibility requirements of disabled supporters who are wheelchair users.

On the eve of the new season, the charity found that only four clubs in the Championship had the recommended number of spaces required for wheelchair users, according to guidelines that have been in existence for over a decade.

The study is good news for Blackburn Rovers, Derby County, Rotherham United and Brighton and Hove Albion – all exceeding 100% compliance with the UEFA’s recommendation for wheelchair spaces, published in the Accessible Stadia guidelines back in 2003.  All four clubs find themselves at the top of Revitalise’s ‘Footie4All’ league table (below) – released today in the form of a colourful infographic, with Cardiff City, Bristol City, Preston North End and Burton Albion all following closely behind.

Finding themselves close to the accessibility relegation zone of the table are Norwich City, Sheffield Wednesday, Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Barnsley and Wigan Athletic – all of whom are achieving less than 50% compliance.

Propping up the table and performing the worst when it comes to accessibility for disabled supporters are London clubs Fulham, Queens Park Rangers and Brentford – each achieving less than 25% compliance.

Previously, Revitalise conducted a survey of disabled supporters to gain an insight into their overall match day experience and the improvements they would like to see made in the future. Of these improvements, disabled fans cited a better view of the action (57%), the chance to be with friends (55%) and more wheelchair spaces (53%) as the top three areas that they would like to see clubs make progress.

The Accessible Sports Grounds Bill, currently being passed through Parliament, will enable local authorities to enact discretionary powers whereby they can refuse to issue a safety certificate where they consider, or have been advised that, the ground does not comply with the ‘Accessible Stadia’ guidelines, published by The Sports Grounds Safety Authority.

Revitalise is using these findings as evidence that more needs to be done to accommodate and include disabled supporters as part of the match day experience offered to fans and is calling for Championship clubs to up their game and meet their obligation to disabled supporters as set out by the Equality Act by installing more and better facilities for disabled fans.

The charity is also urging the Championship clubs to comply with the Accessible Stadia Guidelines – as they already agreed to over a decade ago – or risk falling foul of the new law which could empower their local authorities to close them down if they do not do so.

Revitalise Chief Executive Chris Simmonds commented:

“This coming weekend the Championship will kick off for another season, but our study shows that for people who rely on wheelchairs, going to the big match might not be the joyful experience they had hoped for and it is down to the clubs to put this right.

“Our study found that only four Championship clubs have been able to comply with simple guidelines that were laid down well over 10 years ago! There can be no excuse for the 20 remaining clubs to still be lagging behind. The Premiership has pledged to become fully compliant by August 2017, so we are urging the Championship to follow their lead.

“Look at newly-promoted Burton Albion. This club has a stadium a quarter the size and a turnover of just one fourteenth the Championship average, yet this little club has achieved a wheelchair compliance of 80% – and in the process has put many much bigger, richer and better resourced clubs to shame.

“As we speak there is a new law passing though the House of Commons which will give local authorities the right to close stadiums down if they do not comply with the Accessible Stadia Guidelines. Would it not make good sense for the Championship clubs to do the right thing by their disabled fans now, rather than run the risk of losing their right to stage football at all?

“Disabled supporters have an absolute right to expect the same enjoyable, socially inclusive experience as every other fan and football clubs have a moral and legal obligation to provide this – so come on, Championship, get on the ball!”

Revitalise is a national charity providing respite holidays for disabled people and carers. Revitalise provides short breaks, with 24-hour nursing care on-call and personal support, at three accessible UK centres in Chigwell in Essex, Southampton and Southport. Each centre offers a wide range of accessible activities and excursions in a holiday environment. Find out more about Revitalise accessible holidays and the work they do by visiting revitalise.org.uk.

National disabled people’s charity Revitalise has responded to a new study on the first anniversary of the Care Act, published today by Carers Trust.

In its own study, Revitalise found that, one year on from its launch, the long-awaited Care Act, billed as the most significant reform of social care law in over 60 years and promising to safeguard the well-being of disabled people and carers, had failed to live up to expectations in its first year.

The Revitalise research found that over half (55%) of England’s local authorities had spent less overall on services for disabled people and carers* since the Care Act came into being than in the year before – to the tune of an incredible £397 million – and 42% had reduced their spending on respite provision by an average of nearly £900,000 each.

A central pillar of the Care Act was the legal entitlement of all disabled people and carers to an assessment of their support needs. However, the Revitalise study, based on Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, found that local authorities gave fewer Needs Assessments for disabled people during the first year of the Care Act than in the year before it, and half (48%) had carried out an average of 22% fewer Carer Assessments during the same period.

A parallel survey of disabled people and carers mirrored the FOI findings. Over half (53%) of the disabled people and carers surveyed by Revitalise said the funding they received had been reduced or not kept pace with inflation over the past year. As a consequence, two thirds (66%) said they felt more isolated and had been forced to reduce their time spent taking valuable respite, and 44% said they were now struggling to make ends meet.

Despite prominent support from central government, the failure of the Care Act was amply demonstrated by Revitalise’s research. 7 out of 10 (69%) disabled people and carers told the charity they were unaware of any changes to their entitlements as a result of the Care Act and half (49%) said the services they received had got worse since the Act’s introduction.

The Care Act, part of Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s “Revolution in the health and social care sector”, came into force on 1 April 2015 and was one year old in April 2016. Revitalise’s study, based on FOI requests and its own research, looked at the impact of the first year of the Care Act compared with the preceding year.

In light of the study’s findings, Revitalise is calling for an overhaul of the Care Act to ensure that all the disabled people and carers within local authority jurisdictions are approached and offered Carer or Needs Assessments, and more funding from central government to enable local authorities to fulfil all the pledges contained within the Act. The charity is also reiterating its call for sufficient funding for respite breaks to be a fundamental element of all social care provision.

Revitalise Chief Executive Chris Simmonds commented:

“It has become abundantly clear from our own research – and the new Carers Trust study published today – that the Care Act has failed to make any meaningful impact on the quality of life of the people it sets out to support, and in many respects their situation appears to have got worse.

“The similarities between our research and that of Carers Trust are astonishing; they paint a sobering picture of a missed opportunity to make a material difference to the lives of disabled people and carers across the country.

“Central government and local authorities must both shoulder their share of the blame for this failure. There is a massive and growing shortfall in adult social care budgets, which is expected to be around £4.3 billon by 2020, so it is hardly surprising that local authorities are struggling to implement the Care Act properly.

“However, we also urge local authorities to improve their rather lukewarm implementation of the Care Act and get squarely behind this ground-breaking new piece of legislation.

“As a respite provider, the importance of regular time off – for carer and cared for alike – is well known to us, so it is very disheartening to find out that adequate funding for respite is one of the services that has diminished under the Care Act.”

“Despite its very laudable intentions, our fear is that until all those agencies with a stake in the Care Act really invest in its success, disabled people and carers will continue to struggle to achieve even the most basic quality of life.”

Revitalise is a national charity providing respite holidays for disabled people and carers. Revitalise provides short breaks, with 24-hour nurse-led care on-call and personal support, at three accessible centres in Chigwell in Essex, Southampton and Southport. Each centre offers a wide range of accessible activities and excursions in a holiday environment.

Revitalise

A rolling programme of accessible excursions, activities and entertainments, coupled with themed weeks and of course those all-important opportunities to socialise and make connections with others, turn mere respite breaks into proper holidays. And, with summer just around the corner, Revitalise has unveiled the exciting opportunities on offer this holiday season.

Fancy channel-hopping to France or Belgium? A leisurely boat trip or an excursion to explore the mysteries of Stonehenge? Or how about a visit to historic Chatsworth House or a trip to the picturesque Lake District? As well as the excursions, Revitalise’s centres will host a variety of themed weeks throughout the summer months, with the accent on getting out and about around the country – and beyond – and really making the most of the lovely weather to come.

So whether your ideal holiday involves adventure, exploration, culture or relaxation (or a little bit of everything), Revitalise is confident there is a holiday that’s ideal for you this summer.

Revitalise operates three accessible holiday centres in Chigwell in Essex, Southampton and Southport, each providing holidays with 24-hour nurse-led care and the support of volunteers, along with a busy programme of accessible excursions, activities and entertainments, all in a relaxed holiday environment.

For more information about Revitalise holidays and to order a brochure, call 0303 303 0145 or visit www.revitalise.org.uk.

Findings released to mark National Volunteers Week  (1-12 June) highlight numerous benefits of volunteering for individuals and society.

With the EU Referendum fast approaching and the issue of diversity a major topic of debate, a survey released by national disability charity Revitalise to mark National Volunteers Week has found that 93% of the charity’s volunteers said their volunteering experience had made them more aware of diversity issues.

In other findings, the benefits of volunteering to wider society were also evident. 8 out of 10 (80%) respondents said that their time as a volunteer had encouraged them to take a more active part in their home community. Over 9 out of 10 (94%) also agreed that pledging their time to the charity had made them more tolerant towards others.

Revitalise – which provides respite holidays for disabled people and carers at three accessible UK centres – runs one of the largest residential volunteer programmes of any UK charity. It carried out the study to gain an insight into the experiences of its current and former volunteers and shine a light on the numerous personal and societal benefits of volunteering.

In the last year alone, around 2,000 volunteers gave close to 4,000 weeks of their time to reside and work at Revitalise’s centres, enabling the charity’s guests to enjoy a respite holiday and to make the most of the inclusive social activities and excursions on offer. In monetary terms, the value to Revitalise of the contribution of its volunteers is estimated at over £925,000.

Revitalise is using its findings as proof that volunteering has an important role to play in contributing to both an individual’s personal development and that of the wider community and is encouraging more people to try their hand at volunteering.

Revitalise is a national charity providing respite holidays for disabled people and carers. Revitalise provides short breaks, with 24-hour nursing care on-call and personal support, at three accessible UK centres in Chigwell in Essex, Southampton and Southport. Each centre offers a wide range of accessible activities and excursions in a holiday environment.

People wanting more information about volunteering for Revitalise are requested to call 0303 303 0147, email volunteer@revitalise.org.uk or visit www.revitalise.org.uk.

One year on from its launch, the long-awaited Care Act, billed as the most significant reform of social care law in over 60 years and promising to safeguard the well-being of disabled people and carers, has failed in its first year, a charity study has found.

The new research from national disabled people’s charity Revitalise found that over half (55%) of England’s local authorities had spent less overall on services for disabled people and carers* since the Care Act came into being than in the year before – to the tune of an incredible £397 million – and 42% had reduced their spending on respite provision by an average of nearly £900,000 each.

A central pillar of the Care Act was the legal entitlement of all disabled people and carers to an assessment of their support needs. However, the Revitalise study, based on Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, found that local authorities gave fewer Needs Assessments for disabled people during the first year of the Care Act than in the year before it, and half (48%) had carried out an average of 22% fewer Carer Assessments during the same period.

A parallel survey of disabled people and carers mirrored the FOI findings. Over half (53%) of the disabled people and carers surveyed by Revitalise said the funding they received had been reduced or not kept pace with inflation over the past year. As a consequence, two thirds (66%) said they felt more isolated and had been forced to reduce their time spent taking valuable respite, and 44% said they were now struggling to make ends meet.

Despite prominent support from central government, the failure of the Care Act was amply demonstrated by Revitalise’s research. 7 out of 10 (69%) disabled people and carers told the charity they were unaware of any changes to their entitlements as a result of the Care Act and half (49%) said the services they received had got worse since the Act’s introduction.

The Care Act, part of Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s “Revolution in the heath and social care sector”, came into force on 1 April 2015 and was one year old in April 2016. Revitalise’s study, based on FOI requests and its own research, looked at the impact of the first year of the Care Act compared with the preceding year.

In light of the study’s findings, Revitalise is calling for an overhaul of the Care Act to ensure that all the disabled people and carers within local authority jurisdictions are approached and offered Carer or Needs Assessments, and more funding from central government to enable local authorities to fulfil all the pledges contained within the Act. The charity is also reiterating its call for sufficient funding for respite breaks to be a fundamental element of all social care provision.

Revitalise Chief Executive Chris Simmonds commented:

“For the first time in 60 years a piece of legislation has come along which purports to enshrine and protect the rights, dignity and independence of disabled people and carers, but it has become abundantly clear from our own research that the Care Act has failed to make any meaningful impact on the quality of life of the people it sets out to support – and in many respects their situation appears to have got worse. This is a tragedy.

“It is already well known that there is a massive and growing shortfall in adult social care budgets, which is expected to be around £4.3 billon by 2020, so it is hardly surprising that local authorities are struggling to implement the Care Act properly. In fact, local authorities raised concerns about implementing the Care Act long before it came into force.**

“As a respite provider, the importance of regular time off – for carer and cared for alike – is well known to us, so it is very disheartening to find out that adequate funding for respite is one of the services that has diminished under the Care Act.”

“Despite its very laudable intentions, our fear is that until local authorities get squarely behind the principles of the Care Act – and the equally important issue of the shortfall in adult social care funding is addressed – disabled people and carers will continue to struggle to achieve even the most basic quality of life.”

Revitalise is a national charity providing respite holidays for disabled people and carers. Revitalise provides short breaks, with 24-hour nurse-led care on-call and personal support, at three accessible centres in Chigwell in Essex, Southampton and Southport. Each centre offers a wide range of accessible activities and excursions in a holiday environment.